UK teens aid SA's poor

International youth volunteers on the increase

They are two Huddersfield teenagers who are focused on a trip to South Africa and how to raise approximately R27 863 before they board their flight.

But Alex Spencer-Taylor and Josh Burman, both 17, are not thinking about which of the country’s many tourist attractions to put on their list. They are off to South Africa to help some of its poorest children and the money they are trying to raise is to buy cooking utensils and food for a charity which feeds 50 orphans a day in rural communities.

Neither teenager is in any doubt that their trip in July is one which will present them with many challenges.

They know they will meet youngsters who have far less than many in the UK. But they have no illusions and say they want to understand how children live in such circumstances, what challenges they face and how they view their future and what it might hold for them.

Overall, there are priceless lessons for these two young men to learn. They are clearly already aware of the importance of understanding the circumstances of others and the need to care for other people.

We wish them well both with the practicalities of raising crucial funds to help other young people and in their journey to understand the many things that bind people of different nations and cultures together.